Hay-cocking machine



J. A. FRANCE.

HAY COCKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 020.55.1917.

Patented May 18, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1- ATTOR/IE rs J. A. FRANCE.

HAY COOKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.5.1917.

1,340,763. Patented May 18, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES MJZUJM afm INVENTOR dAFrazzce I ITO/ME Y8 J. A; FRANCE.

HAY COCKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0565,1911.

1,340,763. Patented May 18, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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HAY COOKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC..5h 1917. 1,340,768. Patented M y 18, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVEf/TUR Maj/60M c/.A .Fmrzae A TTORIVEVS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. FRANCE, SAUL l STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN.

HAY-COCKING MACHINE.

Application filed December To all whom, it may 00nem:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. FRANCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sault Ste. Marie, in the county of Chippewa and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Hay-Cooking Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machines for gathering and arranging hay or similar crops in piles or cocks, and has for an object the provision of an improved arrangement of hay cocking machines wherein hay is gathered. up and deposited 011 a platform for discharging afterhaving been arranged in a cock of the desired size.

Another ob'ect in view 'is the arrangement of a mac line for gathering up hay by a rotary rake member and then discharging the same to the rear platform for arrangementinto a proper shaped pile or haycock.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine for gathering hay into haycocks formed with a lifting mechanism having supporting ropes normally sagging between adjacent cleats for receiving the hay from a hay rake orgatherer and discharging the same at a given point. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a machinedisclosing an embodiment of the invention.

Fig.2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in.Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section through Fig. 2 on line 33. I

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a machine similar to Fig. 2, but with the hoods and top re moved. m

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through a rake and associate mechanism embodying features ofthe invention, same being taken approximately on v line 5--5 of Fig. 6. I

Fig. 6 is a section through Fig. 5 on line e-c. 1 l a Fig. 7 is adetail fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 4: on line 7.7, showing the pawl and ratchet connection between the mechanism and the traction wheel.

In making hay it is necessary to first out the grass and. leave it on the grounduntil it has become cured, after whichit must be gathered and placedunder cover or arranged in'stacks of any desired s ze. Where these stacks are comparatlvely large they Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920. 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,568.

ering them into piles, after which the hay is arranged into a cock. Other devices have been provided. wherein the hay is gathered up and discharged on wagons or other veholes for transportation to a haystack, barn or other destination. The present invention is arranged with certain parts so related as to gather up the hay after it has been cured, lift the hay to a: given point, and then dis charge the same to a rear platform providedavith limiting side members where an operator may arrange the hay into a proper ctck of a desired size, after which the operator may force the cock from the platform to the ground.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals 1 indicates the base or bottom frame to which the vertical frame 2 is se cured in any suitable manner and also an inclined frame 3, which is connected at its MT per end with the frame 2 whereby ample framework is provided for supporting the various members hereinafter described. The frame 1 has an axle 4 connected thereto, said axle being provided with a pair of traction wheels 4:, one of which carries a gear wheel S'meshing with the gear wheel 6; Thegear wheel 6 is supported by a stub shaft 7, said shaft being in turn supported on the frame 1 in any suitable manner. Gear wheel 6 has a sprocket wheel 8 con nected therewith which accommodates sprocket chain 46 whereby power is transmitted to the moving parts of the device. In order to connect the traction wheel 4: with thegear wheel5 the gear. is provided with a pawl 10 pivotally mounted at 10 on the gear wheel by suitable stub shaft. This pawl is designed to engage the ratchet member 11 rigidly secured to thehub oflwheel 4. in any suitable manner, said ratchet wheel at one end of the pawl, but is provided with a bent end section 59 normally resting on haycock formed therebetween.

the lug 60 whereby pawl .10 is heldin position as shown in Fi 7. When it is desired to disconnect the wheel 4 from the moving parts of the device pawl 10 is manually raised and moved pivotally and' spring'58- is moved until the bent section 59 is beneath the lug 6O whereupon the pawl 10 will be positively held out of engagement and the device may be moved across the field, or wherever desired without any of the moving parts being actuated. When the parts are 7 in operative pos1t1on as shown ln'F 1g. 7 and the entire device moved backwardly the V pawl 10 will automatically slide over the lug 11 without becoming displaced and will automatically again engage one of the lugs when the device is moved forwardly.

Arranged on the frame 1 is an elevator 12,

and connected to frame1 at therear is a platform 1.3, said platform being hinged at 14 and 15 to the frame '1, so that the platform may move up and down independently as it passes over the ground The platform 13 is provided with side members 16. and apair of board orupr-ight members 17 properly supported for limiting the size of the A pair of caster wheels'18 are arranged at the rear 7 of the platform 13' sothat the platform may bar may be raised and lowered by reason of properly follow the frame 1, which frame is supported by the wheels 4 and by a front caster'19. Caster 19 is slidingly mounted in the cross bar 20 of the frame 1, which cross the sleeve 21 held in place by set screw 22.

,This being done if adjustment is desirable so as to raise and lower the various tines 23 ofthe rake 24. The rake 24 is of the rotary type and is provided with end wheels 25 havingv a plurality of spaced notches 26-for 'and will consequently wind up the windings Qtinue to. rotate as intended.

on; the bar 28. After. the stone or other object has been passed thetinefwillquickly move to its correct position and will con- As shown in Fig. 3,.thetines 23 are provided with depending sections 29 and a rake section 30 arranged'at an angle to said depending section 29, said rakesection approachingithe ground at a substantially vertical position so as to properly rake and then pick up the hay or other matter being harvested. In order that 'thetines 23 may release the hay as the slats 27engage the same, as well as the chains 41 and 43 and cables or ropes 32,

the rods 28.are rotatably mounted in the wheels, 25, though the center rod or shaft 33 is rigidly secured'thereto. Each of the rods '28 carry an extension or crank arm 34 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, said arms having an end member 35 extending into grooves. 36 of the cam 37. Groove 36 is arranged as slightly over a half circle and merges gradually into an almost flat section 38' as shown in rFig. 6, whereby the tines23 are turned back after having elevatedthe hay, inorder thatthe tinesmay pass beneath the hay substantially in ahorizontal direction when'in their highest position. vfihaft 33 isrrigidly connected with wheels 25 as above stated and is also rigidly connected to the end wheels 25. A chain 41, for instance Fig. 4, Y

passes over the end wheel 25 and also over the sprocket wheel 42, .while the chain 43 7 passes over the end' wheel 25 and over sprocket wheel 44, said chains being rigidly secured to the slats or cleats27 whereby they are moved as the tines are moved by the sprocket wheels. Aj driving sprocket 45 V issecured tothe shaft 33 atits outer end as shown in Fig. 4, the driving sprocket receiving power from sprocket wheel 8 through chain 46. It will thus be seen that chains 41 and 43 are each a continuous chain and are provided at spaced intervals with cleats 27. From Fig. 3 it will be seen that the a shaft 48 carryingsuitable journal members on the upright or vertical frame 2 at an appreciable distance above the platform 13 so that as the hay is passed thereover it can fall on the platform. An idler 49 is provided which causes the chains 41 and 43 sprocket wheels 42 and 44 are supported by a to have a short substantially horizontalsection 50 whereby any hay adhering to the chains or rods will have time to drop there from either in a position on the platform 13 I,

or on to the apron 51from whichit slides by gravity to the platform. Apron 51 is supported in any suitable manner,but is preferably connected to the vertical frame 2 anddiagonal frame 3. In arranging the ropes 32 in the position inwhich they are secured to the slats 27, they are ofsuch a length as to sag between the various slats even though the chains 41 and 43 \are tight.

for taking up any moisture as for instance 'when the ropes get wet, and act as additionalsupports for the hay, so that the hay will not slip off the slats 27.;

This provides for the proper length of rope Arranged above the elevator 12 is a top ;.member 52 provided with a number ofslats 53 extending over the transverse member. 54

and transverse member 55. Below the member 55 is an arc-shaped hood 56 preferably of sheet metal positioned so as topartially surround the rake an a sist the rake in moving the hay to the elevator. A discharge or upper hood 57 is provided partially surrounding the Wheels a3 and 4a and associate parts so as to cause a direct downward discharge of the hay and thereby insure the hay striking the platform 23 substantially at the same point continually.

It will, of course, be understood that the entire device may be made any desired width and that any desired number of tines 23 may be used on the rake.

In operation when the parts are arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the device is drawn across the field. by any suitable power means. The height of the rake may be adjusted during the first movement of the machine across the field so as to cause the tines 23 to properly engage and raise the hay to the elevator. It will be observed that the rake rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of the traction wheel 4 so that the hay is gathered up practically from the position Where it fell after being cut and deposited on the elevator 12 which raises the same to an upward position and finally dis charges the hay downwardly and adjacent the hood 5?. The hay falling on the platform 13 is moved by one or more workmen on the platform to a position between the boards 17 and arranged in a proper haycock at this point. When a sufficient quantity has been provided and the haycock properly made it is pushed ofi the platform 13 toward the rear while the machine continues to move forwardly and continually deposits hay in the front of the platform 13. After the first haycock has been discharged the second is begun and so on as long as the device is in use. It will be noted that the device does not gather up the hay and discharge the same in bundles, but gathers up the hay and deposits same on the platform where the hay is arranged properly and discharged as a completed, finished haycock capable of withstanding ordinary Weather.

What I claim is:

A hay cocking platform adapted to be attached to the rear end of a hay gathering apparatus for receiving the hay therefrom, said platform being formed with a space for receiving hay from the hay gathering apparatus, a space for receiving the hay cock and a pair of spaces for receiving workmen, a pair of rip-standing partition members arranged in spaced parallel relation to provide walls on each side of the cock receiving space, said partition members extending from the rear edge of the platform but falling short of the front end to leave said hay receiving space clear and traction members arranged at the rear of the platform.

J OHN A. FRANCE. 

